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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Sliders and Slaw

So with these first warm days of spring, I’m itching to get outside and grill. Good ol’ grilled burgers are the best. A baked potato or some oven fries make great sides, as does my favorite slaw. You all know what slaw this is and everyone has their own variation. It’s that slaw with Ramen noodles that has been tweaked and tempered by just about everyone who has made it. Of course, this Farmer has to add a bit of the garden into this dish.

Sliders, or smaller burgers, are the perfect party food and cook out accoutrement. Not too much smaller than a regular burger, these little two or three biters are just too much fun. Plus, Pepperidge Farm now has slider buns at the grocery store! And they are delish! So, here a few tips to great burgers and super slaw…it’s an easy menu and easily expands, so invite your friends and have a party!

Sliders

Use a ground sirloin or lean ground meat. A 90/10 or 93/7 ratio is good. This prevents the burgers from being too greasy and the texture of that grind of meat is smooth and accepting of flavor.

To every heaping pound of ground sirloin, I add a heaping tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a teaspoon of minced garlic, a teaspoon to tablespoon of vegetable oil, and a teaspoon of Nature’s seasoning. That’s all. The oil keeps the meat moist and makes up for the leanness of the meat without adding so much fat. The rest is just plain ol’ good flavor!

I fold, squish, and mix the seasoning and oil into the meat until it is well incorporated. I then make patties that will fit the slider buns. Make a little thumbprint in the center to flatten a bit…it also keeps them moist. Old but good trick

I grill the sliders over medium until well done but not crispy. I like mine cooked all the way through, no pink for me, with ground beef.

Serve with the slider buns and your favorite condiments. Mimi makes this wonderful “Special Sauce” that we top ours with. It’s also great as a dressing too!

Slaw

As for the slaw…I use one bag of broccoli slaw and one bag of angel hair cabbage slaw. I just love the texture of those two together.

Mix one cup of rice wine vinegar with a quarter cup of sugar…heat them up in the microwave to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the slaw.

Next, add ¾ cup of vegetable or canola oil…you want a flavorless oil and EVOO is a bit strong for this. Mix the oil, vinegar and sugar into the slaw.

Now, add two packages of Ramen Noodle “Creamy Chicken” flavor packets to ¼ cup of sesame oil and one tablespoon of soy sauce. Keep the noodles for later. Wisk these together and mix well into the slaw.

Allow the slaw to marinate for a few hours or overnight. Just before serving, add the Ramen Noodles proper and some toasted, salted cashews. Incorporate them into the slaw and voila! The easiest and best slaw! This doubles and triples well if need be!

Garnish with fresh parsley from the garden for that added touch of green and freshness. Chives work well too!

Now how easy are those two?! Throw together your own BBQ party or family dinner. If you are like this Farmer and his family, you’ll be making this meal quite often during the warm months. Enjoy!